The PE Act provides a process for persons who are aggrieved by the conduct of a registered professional engineer to lodge a complaint with BPEQ. Should BPEQ form a reasonable belief that the registered professional engineer may have behaved in a way that constitutes unsatisfactory professional conduct; BPEQ has an obligation under the PE Act to initiate an official investigation of the complaint. Information on the type of conduct that BPEQ considers may give rise to a complaint can be found in the Code of Practice (found under Resources). Complaints that are deemed to be frivolous or vexatious may be dismissed.

How to make a complaint?

Before a complaint can be considered:

• it must be lodged using the complaint form;
• it must clearly state the grounds for the complaint (dot points are helpful); and
• it must be mailed to the Registrar, Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland at PO Box 15213, CITY EAST QLD 4002.

Should an investigation be conducted, BPEQ, on receipt of the investigator's report, is obliged to:

• start disciplinary proceedings against the registered person;
• enter into an undertaking with the registered person;
• caution or reprimand the registered person; or
• take no further action.

BPEQ does not have any power to order restitution or rectification. If BPEQ commences disciplinary action, the disciplinary charge is heard by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).